Education

SUNDAY SCHOOL

St. James has adopted an exciting Sunday School curriculum for younger children called “Godly Play.” The new curriculum encourages children to develop spiritually by challenging them to seek and find their own answers to questions of faith. An additional strength of the curriculum is its ability to “work” for children of a broad range of ages in the same classroom. Coordinator of the Sunday School program is Monica Corral, 575-751-4538 or monicarcorral@yahoo.com.

Teachers using “Godly Play” are enthusiastic about the step-by-step instructions that result in children and teachers becoming partners in religious education. These techniques provide opportunities for children to develop spiritually through self-discipline and working together.

Teachers who are parents of teenagers appreciate the curriculum’s flexibility because it allows teaching by parent and teen. The curriculum also has the potential to involve parents and the rest of the congregation in the spiritual development of our children.

YOUTH THEATRE PROGRAM

The youth theatre program is all about fun, using the threatre arts to express spirituality. This intervention program strives to bring vulnerable and underserved populations to God. Our interdisciplinary program includes gymnastics, beginner through elite level, as well as circus arts, music and voice, and modern dance. The group has plans for a medicine show, based on the patent-medicine purveyors who toured the American frontier preaching a little gospel and selling a little snake oil. Contact: Jean-Scott Benson, 575-758-7047 or jeanscottbenson@yahoo.com

READING LISTS FOR KIDS

The Education Committee develops lists of books and study materials that are wholesome, inspiring, and have a spiritual base. Contact: Stacy Quinn, 575-758-1370 or stacy@newmex.com

ADULT EDUCATION

The Adult Education Committee meets several times a year to plan and implement the educational opportunities for the parish at St. James, as well as interested members of the community. Ordained and lay members of the St. James community, as well as guest speakers, are presenters and facilitators of lecture series and workshops. Programs are planned for fall, winter, Lent, and spring, plus any other times that a subject is of interest and presenters are available. The programs include scripture study, discussions of the liturgy or the church, and group discussions of contemporary theological thought.

The Adult Education program also includes self-organizing discussion groups and other ongoing sessions that bring people together for meditation, study, and lively interchange. Coordinating the program is Gloria Bjerk, 575-776-8503 or kenbjerk@taosnet.com.

CENTERING PRAYER

A group meets for an hour, at 8 AM on Fridays, to read materials supporting silent prayer, followed by a 30-minute practice of contemplative prayer. Thomas Keating’s Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel is the guide for Centering Prayer, and the group reads and discusses other books as well. Contact: Deb Garland, 575-776-0031, debtaos@newmex.com.

BROWN BAG THEOLOGY

A group meets Wednesdays at 12:30 to discuss books that the members choose together as being of interest. Some books recently read and discussed:

The History of God by Karen Armstrong
Honest to Jesus by Robert Funk
Adam, Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels

To find out about the books and chapters being read, or to make suggestions for books, contact Norm Ferguson, 575-751-0049 or fergus@taosnet.com.

NOVEL THEOLOGY

This self-managed book group meets monthly, on the last Thursday at 1 PM, to discuss a book that the members have read. Books are selected during a January meeting for the rest of the year. Recently read:

Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis
Enduring Love by Ian MacEwan
The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham

Join our lively discussions, and after you’ve attended a session or two, feel free to recommend books for the year’s list. Contact: Gloria Bjerk, 575-776-8503 or kenbjerk@taosnet.com

SYNOPTIC GOSPELS STUDY

The study group meets the last Friday of the month, at 9:30 AM. Using the book Records of the Life of Jesus, the group compares the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke on the teachings, stories, and acts of Jesus. Contact: Gloria Bjerk, 575-776-8503 or kenbjerk@taosnet.com

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

More commonly known as “Bad Girls of the Bible,” this group enjoys fellowship, discussions of women’s stories in the Bible, and scrapbooking-journaling together. Meetings are Tuesday evenings at 6 PM. Contact: Marcia Shultis, 575-758-2790 or office@stjamestaos.org, or Marcie Sweet, 575-758-2137 or tunibrown@kitcarson.net

LIBRARY

St. James has an excellent, and growing, collection of reading material that is available to parishioners on loan. Biblical and theological texts are just some of the diverse collection; we also have novels, study guides, children’s literature, books on tape, DVDs, and so on. We welcome donations of books from private libraries, as well as volunteer support for cataloging and maintenance of the collection. Contact: Gwenneth Glenn, 575-776-8835 or gwennglenn@taosnet.com

Members Login Related Links Site Map Contact Home

Opportunities to Serve

Here is a listing of the many ways you can use your talent and experience at St. James.

Sunday School Teachers

We have a group of dedicated teachers, each of whom conducts a class every few weeks in a rotating system.

Contact:
Monica Corral, 575-751-4538
monicarcorral@yahoo.com